Campaigns

CAMRA discount

Campaign for Real Ale

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is a 185,000 strong consumer organisation which fight for the rights of real ale drinkers in particular and all members of the pub going community in general. Get into beer festivals for free or at reduced prices. Lots of special offers such as brewery loyalty schemes.

Join now by direct debit and get 15 months for the price of 12. Want to know more.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these pages are the views of the Stockport and South Manchester branch and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Campaign for Real Ale.

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All material on this web site is copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the Stockport and South Manchester branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Mild Magic 2018Friday 6th April to Sunday May 13th

Mild is an endangered species!

Until
2015 the Manchester region could boast the enviable position of having all four local family brewers producing at least one mild. That is until Robinson's decided to terminate all production of mild. Thankfully Hydes still brews mild and has agreed to sponsor Mild Magic for 2018.

Join us in April and May for this five week long passport trail

Mild Magic Inaugural MeanderFriday April 6

Why not join us on the opening evening (Friday April 6th) and get your first card half filled? We will be using buses (mainly 42, but others are available) to undertake this treck, so an any bus runabout or other suitable ticket/pass would be a good idea.

What does Mild Magic entail?

This CAMRA
National award winning event is at heart a simple passport trail. With a 86 pubs partaking in the 2018 event, we don't ask you to do all of them. "But what do we have to do?" I hear you saying.

The Mild Challenge can be completed on any one of four levels.

To complete Mild Magic, you need to visit 12 different pubs which must also be located in 12 different areas, eg Stockport, West, Didsbury and et cetera. Do plan your visits carefully to ensure 12 areas are visited. Achieving this entitles you to either entry into Stockport's Beer and Cider Festival, or one free pint of mild there if you are already a CAMRA member. In addition to the tickets you will also receive a Mild Magic t-shirt emblazoned with the Mild Magic logo.

Upping the achievement to complete Mild Magic Extra requires 24 pubs in a total of 24 different areas to be visited, i.e. twice as difficult as Mild Magic. This increases your number of entry tickets/pints to two and the shirt is elevated to a polo shirt, again emblazoned with the Mild Magic logo. This is the most popular target, achieved by around 50 people each year.

Now the stakes get higher - Mild Magic Super - this is a little more challenging. Visit as total of 48 different pubs but they only need to be drawn from 36 different areas (but there is nothing stopping you setting a personal target of 48 areas!) For this you will receive a Mild Magic sweat shirt and 4 entry tickets to the Festival (or 4 free pints of mild for CAMRA Members). We hope that this will encourage you to visit pubs new to yourself.

The ultimate challenge is Mild Magic Ultra. To achieve this you need to collect a sticker from all 86 participating pubs. For this you will receive two Mild Magic shirts, both a polo shirt and a sweatshirt plus 6 Festival entry tickets (or 6 pints of mild for CAMRA Members).

No matter which of the above you undertake, here is a fun extra challenge, Mild Magic Scrabble. Each participating pub has an associated letter (see table below) randomly selected from A, C, D, G, I, L or M. The challenge is to collect enough stickers on a card to spell out MILD MAGIC (doesn't have to be in sequence) and you will be rewarded with an extra pint at Stockport Beer & Cider Festival (up to a maximum of 2 extra pints). This applies to everyone irrespective of whether you are a CAMRA member or not. If you decide to participat in this extra challenge, can you please help the organiser by indicating the relevant stickers on your card.

Everyone who participates will also be included in a draw for a visit to Stockport Brewing Company (date to be confirmed).

Having complete Mild Magic your card(s) need to be with the organisers to arrive by the 19th of May, 2018 (only one entry per person). To ensure you receive your tickets and beer vouchers do remember to include a large sized (postcard or A5), stamped and self-addressed, envelope. All garments will be distributed from 6pm onwards on Sunday 1st July at Fred's Ale House, 843 Stockport Road, Levenshulme M19 3PW (or as otherwise agreed). All garments are graced by a bespoke version of the Mild Magic insignia.

Stockport Beer & Cider Festival

A right fine bash to finish off May!

When is it held?

Annually at the end of May or beginning of June. The start is always the first Thursday after the Late May Bank Holiday.This year the dates are Thursday 1st June to Saturday 3rd June 2017. It is now the largest local CAMRA festival in Greater Manchester and one of the top five in the North of England.

What does the Festival offer?

First and foremost a wide selection of fine cask ales sourced from around Britain. We try to keep at least two examples of all endangered beer styles eg mild, stout and etcetera available for drinking at all times so there should be something to tickle your fancy.

Secondly (but this does not mean second class) an overwhelming range of ciders and perrys. This year we had in excess of 50 varieties available, ranging from pleasantly sweet to astonishingly dry. Who says Magners is the pinnacle of cider, and as for cidré, don't get us going. Cider makers are starting to spring up all over the British Isles, even "up eer int' North" so why not come along and try a Chesher or Lancashire example?

Is it just about drinking?

No! We can also sell you a souvenir t-shirt, a variety of books or you could even join CAMRA and get complimentary free beer on us. Why not have a go on our tombola, plenty of beery prizes to be won. Our charity also bring along a complementary selection of goods.

So it's all about buying?

No! All sessions have accompanying musical entertainment ranging, in the last few years, from a 25/30 piece ladies choir to heavy rock bands with blues, folk jazz and everything else in between. The music suit is situated downstair (at football pitch level) adjacent to dining area, it will be well signposted

If all this sounds too much why not just sit out on the terraces (we are in Stockport County's ground so there are plenty of seats to go around) and watch the world go by or the grass grow! If you are a plane spotter we are excellently placed to watch aircraft incoming to Manchester Airport.

Who runs this worthy event?

Primarily members of the Stockport and South Manchester Branch of CAMRA together with assistance from the High Peak, Trafford & Hulme and other nearby branches. New members of staff are always very welcome, for more information contact Pete Farrand at staffing@stockportfestival.org.uk.